Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society

By Christopher Bain

 

Let’s focus on Port Washington cemeteries, of which there are many.  In no particular order,

here is a list of  our town’s cemeteries, with the locations.

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• Nassau Knolls Cemetery (on Port Blvd., and the subject of this column)

• Free Church Cemetery (Harbor Road, on a hillside between the Dodge Homestead and the

• Tennis Academy

• Monfort Cemetery (Old Dutch Cemetery), on a hill behind the Post Office

• Mitchell Burial Ground (off New Street & 5th Avenue)

• Hillside Cemetery (exact location undetermined; on several old maps, off present day Preston St., approximately)

• Sands Family Cemetery (on private property in Sands Point; no trespassing!)

• African-Americn Cemetery / at The Village Club of Sands Point

• Cornwell Cemetery (in Soundview, on a small hill, near Sousa, surrounded by houses)

• Pleasant Avenue Cemetery (tiny fenced in cemetery, just east of the Happy Montessory School)

• The Flower Hill / Ireland / Burtis Burial Ground

 

 

Toward the latter half of the 19th Century, the “town cemetery” was the Free Church

Cemetery, overlooking Harbor Road, between the Dodge Homestead and today's Tennis Academy.

Some reports state that the old cemetery was falling into disrepair by the 1890’s.  Talk turned to the

founding of a new cemetery, on the outskirts of town, on property owned by the Onderdonk family.  

Several prominent businessmen, led by Charles F. Lewis, secured the property in 1900, and

Nassau-Knolls Cemetery was born....  read on!